As always, this list does not focus on the well-promoted main
event bouts from major organizations you already know to watch, but
rather on fights from all over the planet that are worth seeing.
UFC and Bellator
MMA cards are excluded by design.

As two of Japan’s premier lightweights, Aoki and Boku have been on
a collision course ever since they competed in the 2008 Dream
lightweight grand prix. When the Krazy Bee representative knocked
out Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Zorobabel
Moreira to claim
One Fighting Championship gold in October, Aoki took note and
set his sights on the belt. A boxer and a wrestler like his famous
stablemate, Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, Boku’s game plan is no secret.
Will it be enough to fend off the seemingly infinite submission
arsenal of Aoki? One FC’s April 5 undercard will stream live and
free on Sherdog.com.

Although they may not be the clear-cut No. 1- and No. 2-ranked
fighters in their weight class, the general consensus is that
Waterson is the best current challenger to Penne’s title. With two
impressive performances over longtime veteran Lisa Ellis
and Jewels featherweight champion Naho
Sugiyama, the 30-year-old Penne has separated herself from the
pack and deservedly inhabits the top of the
Invicta Fighting Championships mountain. Waterson will bank on
youth, speed and the expertise of her revered training camp to
dethrone the champion.

Many fighters are so desperate to reach the UFC’s famed Octagon
that they are willing to fight not one but two weight classes about
their preferred division. That was the case with “The Ultimate
Fighter: Brazil” Season 1 alumni Lopes and “Soldado,” as they
competed for spots in the house as featherweights, only to be
stopped at the gates by Rony
Mariano Bezerra and John
Teixeira da Conceicao, respectively. Now these two flyweight
studs collide in the Coliseu Extreme Fight 6 main event to decide
the identity of the top unsigned Brazilian at 125 pounds.

Despite the fact that he can only boast seven professional fights
and was a short-notice replacement for Rodrigo
Luiz Baido, many see Frenchman Ka as the dark horse in this
M-1
Global heavyweight tournament. In the quarterfinals, the
Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt will take on Bellator veteran and
muay Thai world champion Kudin in a classic striker-versus-grappler
confrontation. Kudin was a disappointment in his lone appearance
stateside and will need to perform better if he wants to be
considered a top heavyweight in MMA.

Still the most internationally successful Polish fighter of
all-time, Krakow’s Drwal returns from an 18-month hiatus that saw
him nurse some minor injuries, expand his own academy and film a
season of “Fight School” -- a Polish “Ultimate Fighter” clone. Now
the 31-year-old heavy hitter is back fighting just a stone’s throw
away from his hometown. Across the cage from the six-time UFC
veteran will be young American Swofford. The 26-year-old
Team Quest representative leaped out of obscurity with a short
and sweet 41-second knockout of UFC veteran Jay Silva in
February.

To say Alers has been patiently waiting for a
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship title shot would be an
understatement. First, he was supposed to fight champion Conor
McGregor in September. The Irishman went down with an injury,
and Alers instead fought and submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black
belt Marcio Gracinha. Alers and McGregor were again supposed to
meet on New Year’s Eve, but a hand injury forced the former to
exit. With McGregor moving on to the UFC, “The Beast” will now meet
a top 10 European featherweight in Solovaara. The 27-year-old
Finnish export has won 10 of his last 11 fights.

Battling for the
Road Fighting Championship lightweight title are local hero Nam
and powerful Japanese grappler Kume. “The Korean Bulldozer” had to
dig deep in his tournament semifinal with South Africa’s Vuyisile
Colossa, who stretched the 31-year-old Team Posse fighter to
the limit. Kume, meanwhile, made short work of seasoned Korean
veteran Chul Yoon with
a dominant performance that ended with his eighth career rear-naked
choke. The Japanese fighter is riding a nine-fight winning streak
and is the odds-on favorite to win the tournament.

One of the Far East’s most underrated and battle-tested
welterweights will face one of the West’s most underappreciated and
well-rounded 170-pounders as part of Deep’s latest
offering. Shirai has gone out of his way to compete internationally
during his career, which is quite unusual for a Japanese fighter.
Meanwhile, Hornbuckle’s star first rose in Japan in August 2009
with his incredible head kick knockout of beloved veteran Akihiro
Gono. Now, he returns to the place of his biggest success.

Unfortunately for him, most stateside fans remember Cage Warriors
champion Linderman for being spectacularly knocked out by Anthony
Johnson in the
World Series of Fighting and suffering a close decision loss to
Richard
Hale in Bellator. Yet, the 29-year-old Californian is a
well-rounded and durable fighter who has been competitive in two
weight classes. Drysdale needs no introduction. One of the top
no-gi grapplers of his generation, he is running a race against
time to reach the big leagues while still in his prime. “Da
Protege” will serve as a significant step up in MMA competition for
the omoplata and triangle expert when they lock horns under the
Legacy Fighting Championship banner.

Australian Vas competed two classes above his natural weight on
“The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” in 2012 and still turned in
strong performances, giving finalist Colin
Fletcher a difficult fight and taking eventual winner Norman
Parke the distance. The 29-year-old submission specialist now
gets to take on somebody his own size, as he squares off with
undefeated Macaco Gold Team member de Almeida. The 21-year-old
comes from the world of muay Thai, where he holds a 26-3 record. So
far, his style has translated perfectly to MMA.

Follow Tim Leidecker on Twitter at @TimLeidecker or contact him
at www.facebook.com/Rossonero1.